Networking Reviews

the LAN and modem ports are just working on linux
that's it
even with RH 6, MDK 8
but discontinued to use after getting another cardbus lan card (and changed to use broadband)
note: the modem is hardware-based, not winmodem

I've had this card for about 3.5 years and it has worked flawlessly the entire time. I bought it because I was tired of replacing the dongles on other models (I broke one within an hour of connecting it). The things I like are (in order of lovability):

* Integrated connectors (i.e. no dongles)
* Easily readable and meaningful indicator lights
* Takes only only one PCMCIA slot
* Hot swappable (doesn't requite a reboot if you suddenly decide you need to insert it)

I guess the only quibble I have is that it is a half duplex model rather than full duplex but in my networking situation I don't think it matters one bit. Also be aware that its connector ports extend beyond the PCs case about 3/4" rather than being flush with it like some other models. However those other models require two PCMCIA slots whereas this one only requires one.

I bought one of these 9 months to a year ago and have found it to work very well. No problem with installation (windows 98) on an older IBM Thinkpad laptop. The light indicators are quite helpful. I like the dongleless setup, but I do still have fears of it getting broken. The inclusion of the two cables, one telephone, the other network was helpful although both are short. I have successfully used both the modem and lan card simultaneously with great success. So no problems yet. I would recommend it. I have had good experiences with other Linksys network (PCI) cards previously on both Linux and Windows.

I connected this to my 3 year old 800 MHz Dell and it works fine. I have a digital camera and a UPS plugged into it. The price was right too. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews on all the hubs in this price range - it really helped me.

I recently bought a Dell laptop and it does not send enough power down the USB line to drive my scanner. Technical support recommended a powered USB hub.

I tried just about all the major brands (Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, etc.) and none of them worked. Some wouldn't power the scanner at all. Others would, but then if I re-booted the computer, the scanner would no longer be recognized. I would have to unplug the scanner, re-boot, and then plug it back in so that the OS (WinXP) would recognize it.

I must have tried 1/2 dozen hubs and I was pretty much ready to give up when I finally bought this Aten model from Amazon. It works great!

I highly recommend this as it does everything a hub is supposed to do and much more than all the others. It's also very small (the image above makes it look bigger than it really is) which is great because it hardly takes up any space. I love it!

I really didn't want to learn that much about USB technology except to increase the number of available USB ports I could use. I only had 2 USB ports and needed more. The more I read about the gillzion USB Port Hubs on the market, the more confused I was about which USB Port Hub to get. Finally, I saw the Aten 4-Port USB Hub listed here at Amazon.com and it had high review ratings and comments about how easy it was to install and use. Based on that (plus the price was within my budget), I purchased the Aten 4-Port USB Hub.
Thankfully, the reviews were correct. All I had to do was turn off my PC, plug the Aten USB Port Hub into one of my USB ports, and turn on my PC again. It worked like a charm. This Hub runs on a standard Microsoft Windows driver to operate (I have Windows 98 Second Edition). I then tested it by plugging in a digital photography media card reader (the Delkin eFilm 6 in 1 Card Reader) and it worked perfectly.
The Aten 4-Port USB Hub is great. It has an amber power light and a green light for each of its 4 ports to indicate they are operating correctly. The Hub can be self-powered (meaning it can run without the auxiliary power supply), or you can use the power supply that comes with the hub. Some devices you attach will not need the power supply and some will. For me, I didn't want to learn the difference. it was just as easy to connect the power supply and forget it.
I highly recommend this USB Port Hub to expand the number of USB ports on your computer. It is small (less than 4" x 2"), and comes with everything you need to use it., right out of the box.
I've had mine for a couple of months now and it is still working perfectly. If you need extra USB ports, this is a good one to consider.

This router is easy to setup. It is not a stateful packet firewall. It does not permit private LAN addresses other than on the 192.168 network. It will not allow a statically assigned DHCP address leases (for a print server perhaps).

It is fast and has a DMZ port as well as a backup modem port -for when your cable provider goes away.

If you dont need the serious features this firewall is probably just fine.

The Asante FriendlyNet FR3004LC works exactly as advertised. And the best part is that it sets up in minutes. I bought one so I could share a cable Internet connection between a Windows PC and an Apple PowerBook laptop. I was concerned that I would have to do a lot of fiddling with the TCP/IP settings on my Mac. But set up was a breeze. It took about 10 minutes. All you have to do is plug in the cables, change the configuration settings to DHCP and Ethernet and you're set. We didn't even need to use the Asante Web site to set the router. It was ready to go right out of the box. Now me and my wife can work on our own computers sharing the same Internet connection. I would recommend the Asante router to anyone who wants to run a PC and a Mac on the same Internet connection.

I recently had a cable connection installed and knew that I needed a router/firewall due to the "always on" fact. I'm so glad that I picked this router (I was looking at the Netgear/Linksys products) and the fact that it has a print server is another great feature. Installation was a cinch - log into the web-based control panel and select what type of connection you have, then the rest of the install is tailored to your specific service. It literally took me 10 minutes to install it! The same day of instal I checked the security log and noticed numerous attempts at port 111 (RPC), 27374 (SubSeven port probe) and 137 (NETBIOS)... I'd honestly say this is the best money I've spent on such a well-rounded product.

I bought this Iogear 4 port switch as a replacement for my Linksys switch. It superb in finish quality, very compact, and needs no extra powersupply. You can switch between computers by pressing the left or righ CTRL key twice to go forward or backwards between computers, or by the buttons on the switch. Four cables included, its a great deal.

Having owned several Belkin KVM switches, and used other brands at various client sites, without a doubt this switch is the best. The Belkin Cube would lose sync with the mouse and keyboard several times every day. The IOGEAR has never skipped a beat. The keyboard sequences are far easier as well - control key twice, left to go to the left, right... well you get the idea

This product has to be simply the best..
i had considered getting the linksys KVM.. but after calling linksys and Belkin KVMS...linksys told me that I wont be able to use my wireless mouse or keyboard with their product.. and belkin's first question was which KVM are we talking about.. so I said what the hell.. lets try IOGear.. and needless to say I am extremly happy.. the wireless keyboard and mouse works flawlessly...

this is my first IOGear product... and you can be darn sure I am going to purchase more of IOGear..

Can you run a webserver behind this router? Because you CAN'T do it with a SMC7004ABR

Thanks!

I just set up my home network for three PC's and a Mac, and I am very pleased with the results. Now, I'm downloading MP3's and music videos at blazing speeds from every computer in the house. I enabled the print server for two of the PC's without difficulties and even got my intranet web server to work. I can't wait to host a networked computer game.

The configuration of the router was fairly easy, but could have been more straight-forward. The manual was written for people who get their IP addresses assigned dynamically. I have my own static IP address and had to fiddle with the menu options. (Fortunately, I just finished a Cisco CCNA networking class and was confident with my solution.)

I've been through the whole progression of sharing the cable modem at my house for 5 home PC's and my work laptop. I started with the Microsoft solution of ICS (I specifically upgraded to Windows 98 SE to get that feature). I used thinnet on my home network and it worked ok but having to have the one PC on for the rest was awkard and it was slow for the kids multiplayer games. I then moved on to a SMC 7004BR router and it was bliss. Easy setup except the printer sharing. Even there I called their support and they walked me through it. I have since stepped up to the 7008BR for two locations I manage and these are better than the 7004BR (Faster too). I cannot recommend them enough.

Spend a lot, get a lot more. Although it was a tough choice to spend the money when I purchased my TRV70, I have no regrets. My camera is DA BEST!. After I figured out the Still Picture recording is best taken when not recording video simultaneously, I never looked back. There are so many features to mention but I don't use. The key things to consider:
- Bigger lens, means better image
- Good size CCD is a treasure; otherwise 3 CCD is next option
- Manual focus override; in photography, this is VERY important
- Backlight control; it's a great override in low light conditions like opening up your camera aperature
- Manual disable of on-board flash; continue taking pictures when flash is not allowed
- Touch screen LCD is sweet, don't listen to button fanatics
- Steady Shot works.... when camera is light, more chances of jarring movements, so here its really important.
- Memory stick convenience ... buy larger capacity, more over time.
- Battery Status; Info-lithium means no guessing game. By several small batteries, charge them, and carry them a-l-a Rambo.
- Don't install Imagemixer software. Instead, use Sony's Screenblast Movie Studio 3.0. You'll be happier.
- Don't skimp on footage. Take lots of footage. It's easier to edit, than to say... I don't have enough!

It's unfortunate, Sony is discontinuing the product in 2004. It's a great product! I'm ready to buy a second one so I can get the same footage from another vantage point. Silly, two people using different cameras. :-)

this is a power packed camcorder!
pros:
- other than the sony trv80, this is the only sony miniDV camcorder that has a 2 megapixel still camera built in.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, bluetooth, mic input, etc.
- has a built in pop-up flash for taking stills.
- carl zeiss lens.
- steady shot and night shot.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to memory stick.
- progressive shutter system.

cons:
- this camcorder is bigger than i would like. you can get smaller camcorders like the trv33 or the pc105. granted, those have less features, mainly still camera capability (2.0 megapixel vs 1.0 megapixel).
- bright 2.5" LCD screen: but i definitely prefer the 3.5" in the trv80.
- as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.
- the included 8MB memory stick (for a 2 megapixel still camera!) is unacceptable. you'll need at least a 64MB memory stick with if you want to take full advantage of the higher resolution pics you'll be taking.
- although bundling the camcorder and still camera together means you only have to carry one piece of equipment, it also means that if one breaks, you have to replace both.
- as an alternate to this bundling strategy, you can get a trv33 or pc105 and get a 3 megapixel still camera for about the same price.
- no built in video light but you can get one less than a hundred bucks.

all in all, a very nice camcorder. nice work sony.

This is my fourth camcorder, and first digital camcorder. I bought it to record my child's soccer games to make a DVD to send to college coaches. It recorded steady sharp video in all lighting conditions, including heavy overcast, light fog, and night games under stadium lights. I also bought the remote controll tripod, which makes it much easier to start/stop recording and adjust the zoom (the remote control zoom buttons have the correct sensitivity, as opposed to the camera zoom control as noted in a review below). The only problem I had that caused the loss of a few minutes of video was that the camcorder started displaying "Cleaning Tape". I packed the tape (fast forward to the end and rewound) and recorded over the bad section. I now pack the tape again whenever I insert a new one in the camcorder

A good solid performer, does what it is supposed to do. I have been using its "baby brother", the DS104, for several years... just needed a couple of more ports. Entirely suitable for home networking, home office or small office use. Very heavy users would be better off with a switch rather than a hub, but this will be fine for most.

An earlier review stated "this hub only appears to provide half-duplex support".This is part of the definition of a hub vs a switch, thus the product is not flawed. A switch will provide full duplex and is more appropriate for multiple high bandwidth devices. If you're attempting to decide HUB vs SWITCH, do a google search before you buy.

I have been a fan of Netgear products since they were originally under BayNetworks. They make high quality devices, attractive design, and they normally offer long warranties. This product is no different. I've had it serving up a couple of machines now for over a year without incident. It's remained on 24 hours / 365 days and performs nicely.

The only downside I've seen with Netgear is their on going support (Firmware upgrades, etc.). Obvisouly that won't be an issue with this device, but something to consider if your also looking at them to provide a router solution. Also, the power adaptors seem to go a little too often.

All and all, this is a great hub and wonderful price. I can think of no reason for some who needs a hub to not pick this up.

Great performance and stability - installed it in the ceiling of a middle school. Highly recommended for 5-6 computer systems.

I've installed several of these XRouters, and everything is great wth one Glaring Exception. They are still shipping units that need a firmware update, and the last firmware update is from mid 2001. A year and a half isn't enough time to get the new firmware into the unit? Terrible waste of troubleshooting time. So, just be sure to check what firmware # is in there, against their website, before wasting any time configuring it. Once that's done, it's a rock-solid little unit, and works great with PPPoE, DSL, Cable, your server, PC, Mac, whatever. They just need to get the newer firmware into the unit.

The MIH130 works. Plain and simple. It was very easy to install. Easy to upgrade the ROM. I needed to talk to their tech support. They picked up after about 15 seconds and offered some excellent advice which helped speed the throughput by about 300 percent. I can pretty much say the opposite for Netgear. They used to be a good company with good products. The first RT314 I got was broken. I think. That's what they told me. 24/7 support? Ha! I was on hold over the weekend for over 30 minutes. I hung up. On a weekday their tech support kept me on hold for about 25 minutes. They were not willing to go through my settings with me to troubleshoot. They simply said to return it. I did. However, I got another one just for kicks. It, too, was a dog. Don't let that pretty blue metal box of the Netgear products dazzle you. It's not the box you're buying; it's the stuff inside. By the way, I'm on PacBell DSL. The MIH130 is working fantastically! The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because I'd like to see a more durable casing. No big deal. It's a guy thing.

I've been using the Xrouter Pro for almost a year now and it totally rocks - I've had zero problems!! This is the router that I recommend to all of my friends - even my mother.

Setup is very easy and straight forward; it only took me about 10 minutes to get it up and running. The built-in PPPoE support works flawlessly (I'm on BellSouth.net).

The unit passes VPN traffic with no problem. I've even got an 802.11b access point plugged into the Xrouter Pro and can establish a VPN connection between my wireless laptop and my corporate intranet.

For more advanced users who want to do more than just surf the Internet there are plenty of features: DMZ support, access control list support, built-in DHCP client and server, supports static routes and RIP, ability to block port scanning, ability to disable ping response, etc.

While the name (Macsense) may sound like this product is designed for use with Macintosh systems, make no mistake this unit works with any platform. In fact I don't even own a Mac - all of the computers that I have plugged into the Xrouter Pro are PC compatibles.

I just bought a NETGEAR RP614 router to share the ADSL connection to the Internet between several PC's. Two years ago I had purchased one of the wireless products and had extremely slow transfer rates. I have decided to upgrade to a real "wired" network. Now with the new router I am contemplating all the Ethernet wiring that will be needed and it wont be a trivial task. But I just read those articles about using the existing power lines and the Netgear Powerline Ethernet Adapter (XE602) seems to be the solution. So thanks for all the info.

I works right out of box, (supposed to be that, such as all other brands...Iogear, Linksys, Phonex NeverWire 14, etc.) It also comes with two Ethernet patch cables ( and you only need one, it is good to have extra). It also looks nice with the stand and all the connections (Ethernet port and AC powerline port) are at rear panel. But, you need to install software on computer to have encryption. On the other hand, the Phonex NeverWire 14 uses one button on the device to have the encryption (that is realy really Plug and Play). That is the reason it only got my 4-star.

I got these to complete our home network for sharing a broadband connection. Since I already had ethernet cards on the machines that were upstairs (far from the cable modem) I decided to try these rather than go wireless. You will need at least two of these for them to be of use, I have one on the router and one plugged into a hub where the two remote computers are. If you do not turn on the encryption all you need to do is plug them in and you are done. I have not tried the encryption yet and do not plan to any time soon, so I don't know how difficult is is to set up or how well it works.

The only negative (and this applies to all the current powerline networking items) is they need to plug right into the wall. Given how many plugs a desktop computer needs you will need a surge protector with LOTS of plugs to free up a wall socket.

Also, one word of advice, keep this in a reasonably well ventilated area. I had mine partially covered and it got too hot and stopped working. After I uncovered it and let it cool down for a few minutes it started working again.

Although this card works very well with Windows products, getting it to work with Linux is not for the beginning or even intermediate user. It is a complicated and tricky process.

I'd been using one of these for two years on a laptop with Win2K, and was perfectly happy with it; over Christmas I installed Red Hat 9, which did not recognize it. Poking with google, I found that all I had to do was to add four lines to the file /etc/pcmcia/config.opts, namely an empty line followed by

card "Belkin-5020"
version "Belkin", "F5D5020-PCMCIA-Network-Card"
bind "pcnet_cs"

(The second and third lines should be indented by two spaces each.) It now seems as trouble-free on Linux as on Win2K.

Bought this for my laptop and it worked perfect. with no problems.